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When I was a new mom, I was desperate to increase my milk supply and do it fast.
Not only did I have trouble figuring out the correct latch, fighting infections, and pain, but I was also low on breastmilk. My baby wasn’t growing well.
When I decided to breastfeed, I expected it to be a natural way to nourish my baby.
After all, isn’t breastmilk free and plentiful?
Not for everyone.
Maybe your story is similar to mine.
You may be desperately looking for ways to increase milk supply because breastfeeding isn’t going as expected.
After your milk came in and you survived the first week after bringing a baby home, breastfeeding did not seem to get easier.
One of the reasons why moms and babies are struggling with nursing is because of low milk supply.
My experience and struggles with my daughter have helped me do much better later on, and all 3 of my babies nursed till around 20 months.
8 Proven Tips To Increase Milk Supply Fast
In this post, I will show you how to increase your milk supply fast so breastfeeding can become a truly natural, smooth experience for you.
You will read about:
-How to know if you really have a low milk supply?
-Why is rest important?
-How long does it take to increase milk supply?
-How to increase milk supply when pumping?
-What foods help produce breastmilk?
-How to get a proper latch and why it matters?
Disclaimer: Please keep in mind, that I am not a doctor and these tips are based on my experience and opinions.
1. Evaluate If You Really Have Low Milk Supply
Your milk supply is only considered problematically low, if your baby is not gaining weight well or if you are trying to build up a milk storage stash and can’t seem to get ahead.
High milk supply has nothing to do with how “full” you feel, whether you feel a strong let-down or not, or how much you fill up the bottle after pumping. Sure, they can be indicators, but they are not the only indicators.
Don’t get caught up in measuring ounces of pumped milk, wondering if you have enough.
Understand that you will have differing amounts of milk depending on the time of day. Your body is amazing like that.
You’ll always have the most milk in the morning and less in the afternoon, but here’s the catch. The afternoon/evening milk is a whole lot fattier than the morning milk, ensuring your little one gets super high calories.
Understanding what goes into milk production is key to determining why your supply may be low and how to increase your milk supply fast.
These tips will boost your supply within 48-72 hrs, and probably continue to increase for a few days before leveling out.
2. Rest To Increase Breast Milk Production
Resting and sleeping are hugely underestimated parts of a plentiful milk supply. In our culture, moms get back to normal just days after their babies are born and some are even back to work before the first 6 weeks are over.
No wonder so many of us suffer from low milk supply and stressful breastfeeding.
If you want to know how to increase milk production fast, your answer is rest.
As in “lying in bed, doing nothing” rest. Does that sound weird? Yeah, it did for me too at first.
Isn’t it the strong and cool thing to do to bounce back fast and be super-mom? Tons of moms’ experience says no. And your doctor probably said heck no.
The postpartum recovery period is 6 weeks for a reason.
Approximately, that is how long it takes for your body to go back to the pre-pregnancy state. (Unfortunately, this mainly means shrinking on the inside, not the belly pooch. For that, you may try these awesome post-partum workouts that are effective in getting you back in shape.)
Those first 6 weeks are crucial for physical and mental recovery and also play the main role in establishing your milk supply.
True rest means you relax and you are only able to do that if you accept and understand the absolute necessity behind it.
What Can Happen If You Don’t Rest
I got a nasty uterine infection and struggled with low milk supply for weeks because I did too much too soon.
To be fair, I had other reasons why my milk supply was so low, but not resting was definitely a part. How do I know this?
When my first baby was 9 months old, I went back to my home country to visit my family. My mom took care of me for 5 weeks, I didn’t have to clean or cook and I just had fun with my baby.
I was in absolute shock that during that time I had the most milk I’ve ever had. I was relaxed, rested and happy.
You might be rolling your eyes, thinking, how am I supposed to do that without a vacation?
You got to make it happen, mama.
Figure out a way to let people know you need rest and sleep. If you believe in it and stand up for yourself, who is going to stand in your way?
Fight for it. Ask for it. Pay for it. But get that rest.
3. Keep ’em Empty To Boost Milk Supply
One of the reasons why breastfeeding is considered so easy and natural is because your body responds to the very process you go through physically and emotionally during pregnancy and birth.
Initially, hormones are responsible for milk production and everybody starts producing milk whether they choose to breastfeed or not.
The key is in keeping up that milk production.
Your body makes milk based on demand and supply after the initial hormonal kick-start so the more you empty it, the more often the breasts fill up.
This process lets your body know, you have a high demand, so guess what? There will be a higher supply.
This is the theory and you can read a more in-depth explanation of how milk is made in Kelly Mom’s article.
How To Produce Milk Like A Machine (Almost)
So what can you do to keep your breasts empty and therefore stimulate more milk production? Nurse a lot. A ton.
Many suggest taking a nursing vacation so all you focus on is you and your baby. It can be beneficial on many levels:
-you satisfy your needs for rest and good nutrition
-you relax and feel happy by snuggling with your baby
-you bond with your baby so you get to know her cues and feeding habits
-you keep your breasts empty by nursing constantly
4. Know The Proper Breastfeeding Technique
Some moms and babies have a problem with the technique of breastfeeding itself, resulting in an improper latch and inefficient nursing.
These cause incomplete emptying of the breasts and send the wrong signal to your body about the amount of milk needed.
A baby may act too sleepy to actually care to learn how to latch and nurse efficiently.
For the longest time, my firstborn only opened her mouth up just a tiny bit so there was no way I could make her latch properly. It was very frustrating to both of us.
However, I’m here to tell you that we made it work and not only were we successful in the first year, we continued with extended breastfeeding until she was 22months old!
What To Do If You Want To Learn Breastfeeding Techniques?
If breastfeeding is important to you, I want to encourage you to try everything before you give up. This video will help you learn how to breastfeed with a correct latch:
Some moms have to resort to nipple shields due to the pain nursing causes initially. Nipple shields may also reduce the efficiency of a nursing baby, therefore, resulting in non-complete emptying.
When I was a first-time mom, it has taken me 6 weeks before I was able to nurse without excruciating pain and my baby started gaining weight well.
I wish I had read about these brilliant breastfeeding hacks much sooner. Save yourself some trouble and read them, stat.
Have A Support System
I did have a very stubborn dedication to making breastfeeding work, but I could not have done it without family support and my lactation nurse’s help. Read more about what to do when you face breastfeeding problems in this article from Kelly Mom.
There is almost nothing that can stop you from making breastfeeding work if you are committed. Yes, there are instances when it just can’t be done or only partially can be done.
Don’t give up too soon without exhausting every resource available or think you need to handle it alone.
You don’t.
5. Power Pumping To Increase Milk Supply
When nursing itself doesn’t go well, power pumping is a great option to satisfy the need to empty the breasts as much as possible.
Of course, if you want to store milk for when you return to work, pumping several times a day is also necessary to store enough milk.
The best method is to nurse and then pump every time you feed your baby.
Power pumping not only empties your breasts completely but also stimulates milk production through “artificially” telling your body that “the demand is high, so make more milk!”
Make sure to get a high-quality electric pump and the right fitting shield so you get the best results with the least effort. (That just sounded ridiculous. Whoever thinks of power pumping as effortless? Not me!)
6. Eat Well And Drink A Ton
I am sure you heard this enough already during pregnancy, but when it comes to increasing your milk supply fast, eating enough of certain foods is key.
Your body was designed to make milk but it needs fuel. One reason why nursing mothers are notoriously ravenous is their body tells them to eat. What you eat matters, not just how frequently.
During the first 2 months, you should not worry about dieting and losing weight. That is the prime time for establishing your milk supply and you don’t need to add extra stress.
Eating Several Times A Day
Eat and snack when you’re hungry.
Keep a little stash of trail mix or fruit on your nightstand or the table beside your nursing chair and remind yourself to snack while you nurse.
It’s not uncommon to feel hungry during the middle of the night sessions, and you will be happy you prepped ahead.
Preparation is key to having nutritious foods on hand. You may ask friends and family to bring food or cut up fresh fruits and veggies for you.
Or, if you have the chance, prepare these yummy freezer meals in advance.
The Basics Of The Post-Natal Diet To Increase Milk Supply
Making a habit of carrying a water bottle throughout the day will ensure you drink enough. A nursing mom needs waaaaay more water than you’d think.
My best advice is to drink a cup of water as soon as you wake up in the morning, and fill up a water bottle immediately. This will encourage you to drink more and keep you more conscious of beverage choices during the day.
Focus on eating whole grains and proteins besides fruits and veggies, and don’t skimp on adding olive oil, dairy and nuts to your diet as well.
Even if you’re not a cook, you can pay attention to ordering food from places that use fresh ingredients or make sandwiches and salads that fit these guidelines.
And for the full happiness and enjoyment of life, don’t be afraid to indulge in less nutritious foods too, from time to time. Your sanity will thank you.
7. Eat Special Foods To Increase Breast Milk
Beyond the regular “healthy and balanced diet” recommendations, there are certain foods that boost milk supply naturally. Of course, they aren’t going to work a miracle, but every little bit helps when struggling with a low milk supply.
So give the following foods special attention:
-Old Fashion Oats
-Brewer’s Yeast
-Almonds
-Ginger
-Leafy Greens
Healthy lactation cookies are also very popular among moms trying to increase their milk supply. Not only are they easy to make and delicious, but they are helpful too. Win-win.
For an extensive list of foods that boost milk supply, read more in this article.
8. Take Supplements To Increase Milk Supply
I hear it everywhere that taking actual medication to increase milk supply is highly discouraged and only rarely necessary, so make sure to talk to your doctor about it.
Many lactation consultants and doctors nowadays recommend a galactagogue supplement. Galactagogue means “milk increasing, milk boosting”.
A few of these breastfeeding supplements are:
-Fenugreek
-Goat’s rue
-Fennel
-Milk thistle
-Nettle
While, according to some articles, research does not suggest the effectiveness of such supplements, my personal experience tells me a different story.
I have taken fenugreek and was amazed at the results.
When you’re desperate and were given the green light from a doctor to use such supplements with relative safety, it is worth giving them a chance and seeing for yourself.
Don’t forget to drink even more when taking these supplements because water is necessary to efficiently increase milk supply.
wish you good luck on this not-so-easy journey. Remember, you are not alone and please don’t hesitate to reach out to me for support.
Come back and let me know what has helped you increase your milk supply fast!
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